Sawmill-carriage offset



J; "H. RQONEY SAWMILL CARRIAGE. OFFSET Filed May 12. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LkA.

ail 20022651 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J. H. RODNEY SAWMILL CARRIAGE OFFSET Filed May 12. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 eijflawae gr INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNlTED STATES JOHN HARRY RODNEY, 0F SUSANVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

SAWMILL-CARRIAGE OFFSET.

Application filed May 12,

My present invention has reference to an improved mechanism for ofisetting the log carriages from the saw when the carriage returns from the cutting operations and has among its objects to produce a fluid actuating means for this purpose which is automatic in action, a novel construction of carriage mechanism wherein the fluid cylinders brace the longitudinal or side beams thereof, a novel means for tripping a four-way valve for introducing fluid into either of the cylinders, in accordance with the direction in which the carriage travels, a novel piston in each of the cylinders in which the fluid introduced into the said cylinders acts on the piston rings of the said piston to bring the same into tight engagement with the bore of the cylinder, together with other novel features which will be hereinafter alluded to and pointed out with particularity in the claim.

The drawings which accompany and which form part of my application illustrate a satisfactory embodiment of my invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a saw mill carriage in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view through one of the piston heads.

Figure 5 is a plan view to illustrate the arrangement of the trip mechanism, the handle of the four-way valve being in section.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the valve.

In the drawings, the track rails are indicated by the numerals 1. On each of these rails there is arranged for travel the wheels 2-2 and 3 for the carriage. The wheels 3 are peripherally grooved and the flanges thus provided contact both the head and sides of one of the rails 1 for holding the carriage from lateral movement with respect to the rails. The axles for the wheels 2 and 3 are arranged in pairs and are indicated by the numerals 44: and 5-5, respectively.

The carriage includes side or longitudi- 'nal beams 6, each of an equal thickness and length, and fixedly secured on the under face of the beams 6 there are bearings 7,

1926. Serial No. 108,701.

through which the axles 4 and 5 are passed and in which the axles are revolved, it being understood that the wheels are fixed on the said axles. Also fixedly secured on the under face of the beams 6 there are brackets 8 that have their confronting faces formed with rounded heads 9, and to these heads there are bolted or otherwise fixedly secured the ofliset or flanged ends 10 of cylinders 11 and 12, respectively.

The cylinders 11 and 12 are arranged centrally between the respective pairs of axles fir-'4: and 5-5, and the cylinders not only serve as cross connecting elements for the beams 6but perform another and very important function which will presently be set forth.

Each of the cylinders 11 and 12 has its sides, at the center thereof, provided with a longitudinally extending opening 18, and in each of the said cylinders there is a pair of pistons 14, respectively. The pistons are arranged at a suitable distance from the ends of the cylinders, and the faces of the said pistons, adjacent to the heads of the cylinders are concaved to form the same with rounded pockets 15. The walls of these pockets are provided with radial apertures 17 which communicate with annular depressions 18 in the periphery of the pistons. In the depressions 18 there are inner compressible split rings 19 preferably formed of raw-hide and the rings 19 are surrounded by metal piston rings 20 of the usual split construction.

Each piston head l has an inwardly extending centrally arranged lug 21, and pivotally secured to these lugs there are the bifurcated ends of piston connecting rods 22. Fixed On each of the piston rods 22, at the center thereof, there is a sleeve 23. The

sleeve is provided with laterally extending arms 24 and the said arms have outer rounded portions 25 that receive therethrough the respective pairsv of axles 4 -4 and 5-5. In the showing of Figure 3 of the drawings, the sleeve 23, its arms 24 and its rounded ends 25, is formed of two contacting plates, the said plates, adjacent to the ends thereof, and if desired at other points, being suitably connected by means 26. On the axles 4-4: and 5-5 there are fixed collars 27 that are arranged in contacting engagement with the eye portions 25 of the arms 24., and whereby the said arms are fixedly secured to the said axles. Of course, the arms may be connected to the axles by other means if desired.

Inward of its heads each cylinder 11 and 12 is provided with fluid inlet ports 9? and to the ports adjacent the ends of the respective cylinders, there are connected fluid conducting pipes 28 and 29, respectively. There is a bypass 30 between the pipes 28 and 29, and the passage through this bypass is controlled by a four-way valve which is best illustrated in Figure 6 ot' the drawing. The valve, indicated by the numeral 3 1, has communicating with the asing 32 therefor, a fluid pipe 33, connected with a source of supply. and the said valve being provided with ports 34: and respectively, the port 34 establishing a communication between the inlet pipe and one of the passages or" the y-pass 30, the port 35 establishing a communication l'ietween the second branch of the bypass and the atmosphere.

The valve on the under face of the casing. therefor has connected therewith the central portion of an operating handle. For distinction the ends oi the handle will be indicated by the nun'ierals 36 and 3'? respectively. On the bed for the carriage there are trip members 38 and 39, respectively. Each of the trip members includes a base portion 40 having a pivoted extending finger ll there being a rule joint connection be tween the base and the finger, and each finger is normally held in vertical alignment with the base through the medium of a fiat spring 42. The trip fingers 41 are disposed in the path of contact with the respective ends 36 and 37 ot the handle for the valve, and it will. be apparent that when the carriage has moved on its track a determined distance in one direction, say in the direction of the arrow in Figure l, the end 36 of the handle for the valve will contact the finger ll of the trip member 38, which will turnthe valve to establish communications between the branch of the bypass 30 connected to the pipe 28 so that the fluid under pressure will be delivered to the piston heads let in one end of the cylinders 11 and 12, and the expansion of this fluid pressure will cause the carriage to move bodily on the axles 1- 1; and 5 5 to the position illustrated in Figure 1 or the drawings. This, we will say, brings the carriage away from the saw so that the work thereon will not contact with the saw. The movement of the carriage inthe second or return direc tion permits of the handle end 36 breaking the rule joint between the finger 41 01 the trip 38 and its base or support 40, while the second end 37 of the valve handle likewise breaks the rule oint between the finger and the base of the trip 39. The return IIlOVGDlGIlt or the carriage in the first mentioned direction will cause the finger on the trip 39 to contact with the end 37 of the valve handle and turn the valve in an opposite direction, causing the fiuid to flow through the branch of the bypass 30 which communicates with the pipe 29 and such fluid acting upon the piston at tne second end of the cylinders will bodily influence the cylinders and the carriage proper in an opposite" lateral direction. The movement of the carriage in both directions is taken care of by the exhaust of air through the outlet port 35 in the valve 31.

The simplicity of my improvement and tile advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent when the foregoing d ription has been carefully read in connection with the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details of construction and hold myself entitled to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope or" what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim The combination with tracl'r rails, wheels thereon, axles arranged in spaced pairs connecting the wheels and a. carriage'includ-ing sice beams having bearings that receive the cspective axles therethrough, of fluid cylinders secured to the side beams between the respective pairs of axles and each of said cylinders having central openings in the sides thereof, a. pair of oppositely arranged pistons in each cylinder, a piston rod con necting the respective pairs of pistons, an arm centrally secured to each piston rod, extending through the mentioned openings in the cylinders and secured to the respective pairs of axles. pipe members communicating with the ends of the respective pairs of cylinders, a by-pass between said pipe members, a valve for controlling the passage through the by-pass for directing fluid into either of the mentioned pipes, a pipe lor introducing. fluid into the valve, a handle centrally secured to the valve core, and breakable trip members on the bed for the *arriag-e in the path oi contact with the respective ends ot' the' handle.

In testimony whereof ll aflix my signature.

JOHN HARRY RODNEY. 

